The head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales has offered his 'prayerful support' to Irish archbishops following the referendum on abortion in Ireland.

The referendum saw the population vote for the repeal of the Eighth Amendment to the constitution, which recognises the equal right to life of a mother and unborn child. Opponents fear it will lead to abortion becoming as routine in the Republic as it is in England, Scotland and Wales.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols wrote to Archbishops Eamon Martin and Diarmuid Martin and said: 'Our commitment to mothers and their unborn children remains unchanged. We must do all we can to ensure that the deliberate taking of an unborn human life is not an option that anyone would choose. The denial of life to another human being, a brother or sister, is a wrong that harms our fragile humanity. We work and pray for the day when this truth is widely accepted and laws permitting abortion are seen for what they are.'

He continued: 'Our pro-life convictions have to be consistently expressed in action, in support of women who are trapped in difficult and painful circumstances and in support of the children they are carrying.

'May God bless Ireland and its generous hearted people. May that love, in every family, be a protection for the unborn, whatever the law may now permit.'